Some stocked up on food and prepared underground shelters while others taunted the United States president to go through with his threats. Reports appear to suggest that much of the Syrian Air Force has departed for Russian and Iranian bases in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has urged calm and efforts to restitute peace in Syria during separate calls this week with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

The attack took place in eastern Ghouta, one of the last remaining strongholds of anti-government rebels in the country.

Konashenkov released statements he said came from medics at Douma’s hospital, saying a group of people toting video cameras entered the hospital, shouting that its patients were struck with chemical weapons, dousing them with water and causing panic.

Syria has firmly denied any links to the chemical attack.

But there’s more going on here.

“While we do not condone the recent gas attacks, we do not feel that engaging in conflict, at further cost to innocent life, is the appropriate response”. “If it’s the Russians, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out”, he said.

At the House hearing, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, disputed Trump’s legal authority to act without congressional authority and suggested a U.S. strike would lead to war with Russian Federation.

But away from social media, many expressed concern.

Zasypkin also said that any hostilities with Washington should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations.

“They’re not playing to the same rules”, he said at a cybersecurity conference in Manchester, England.

Tajik said “Trump has vowed to do something, but he can’t”.

The Syrian pound lost almost 10 per cent of its value on prospects of an American attack, going from about 430 Syrian pounds to the dollar last week to 469 Wednesday.

As of right now, the world waits anxiously as government leaders decide how to handle the Syrian crisis.

There was no immediate comment from Syrian officials.

That, in part, may be the reason Trump sent his threatening tweet early on Wednesday. A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said the strike dealt a “significant blow to relations between Russian Federation and America, which are already in a poor state”. France is already involved in the US -led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. What is less clear is whether sarin – the agent used in the chemical attack last April that prompted USA missile strikes – or a similar agent was also used.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has reiterated on Thursday the Syrian government’s willingness to cooperate with an investigation team into the chemical attack allegations, according to the state news agency.

“We are continuing to asses intelligence and are engaged in conversations with our partners and allies”, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement on Thursday, noting Trump’s calls with May and Macron.

“Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to the verbal jousting on Wednesday by saying: “‘Smart’ missiles must strike terrorists, not the legitimate government that has been fighting worldwide terrorism on its territory for several years”.

Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted.